‘Window Stories’ in Jerusalem (Alexandra Morrison)
By Alexandra Morrison
The vision of Jerusalem artist Yoram Amir has come to fruition — after his passing.
“Window Stories,” an installation in the Gan Ha-Sus garden off King George St., was conceptualized by Amir and created by Mekudeshet and Eden, the Jerusalem Center Development Company.
Karen Brunwasser, founder and deputy director of Mekudeshet, described Amir “an extraordinary Jerusalem artist, activist, conservationist, [and] a very beloved figure in the arts scene.”
As a Jerusalem-lover, Amir believed the ancient city must be treated with respect and that innovations should not violate its culture or architecture. He began collecting wooden window frames that had been thrown out into the trash from old, beautiful buildings that were being renovated.
At the start, he used the pieces to frame his photographs, but then he began to fall in love with the windows themselves and the stories they held.
His collection grew to comprise about 2,500 windows.
Said Brunwasser: “The windows that he collected are now this beautiful installation that welcomes Jerusalemites of all kinds into this park to enjoy something that is beautiful, but also to reflect about this place, why it’s so important, and the fact that there are Armenian, Muslim, Christian and Jewish windows. It says that there’s enough room for all of us here in Jerusalem.”
Amir began working on the creative aspects of the project with the artistic duo Itamar Peloge and Lior Peleg.
“Even when Amir fell ill, he still spent time explaining his knowledge and how he treated his art and his collection,” according to Peloge.
“He taught us and told us all the stories behind the different windows and where they came from and his way of looking at things.” Amir saw the first sketch of “Window Stories” before his passing from lung cancer in March.
The installation opened July 7.
